Combating Battle Fatigue- with a little help from my friends...

Lyme Battlers can often feel helpless.

Lyme Battler's caregivers, family, friends, community can often feel helpless.

It is a VERY long road we are on.

Some people just plain abandon us along the way, some zip in and out along the way- waving to us as they breeze by...
Some walk alongside for a bit, some walk a long ways with us-holding our hand...

Some walk the WHOLE way...  (me with my primary caregiver, my husband)

In the Old Testament of the Bible- God gave Aaron to Moses, to hold up his arm when battle weary... He gave Jonathan to David, to encourage him, believe him... 

In the New Testament, we see even more community- the disciples, Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Timothy- many of the apostles meeting up with each other... and leaving letters for us today emploring us to encourage one another...

Do you have anyone to encourage you? 

Sadly we often have to be good self-encouragers!  And thankfully- we have the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, through Christ, who NEVER leaves us. 

Is there something you SO wish someone would do for you to encourage you?  Many times it can be a very simple thing- a phone call, a note, wearing a Lyme-awareness T-shirt...  Well, if no one is encouraging you today- YOU BE THE ENCOURAGER (smile).  Truly- you will be encouraged! 

A fellow Lyme Fighter and I were chatting and he was telling that he, as many of us do, was hoping that when he had to begin this rigorous discipline in eating, changing his eating habits- that his family, at least someone, would be willing to show support by eating the same way he had to now.  But no (really, who would unless they had to).

Made me think-  perhaps someone is reading this who would like some ideas as to how to encourage their friend/family member.  Here is a list of some practical things I came up with- 

- yes, buy a Lyme Awareness T-Shirt!  Wear it when you come to see your Lyme Battle pal, and any time you are out in public.  (we very much want to get the word out to others and can't get out enough to do it ourselves)

- Ok- so maybe you don't want to eat like we have to, but maybe you could join your Lyme Battler in eating like they have to for even just a day or week to show your support, to learn what it is like.

- My family hears my alarm on my phone go off these days and I hear, "Mommmm, your alarm is going of aagaainnn!"  (not angrily though)  My alarm goes off many times a day to keep me on schedule with my different meds/treatments/reminders (poor memory-  Love the device! Such a help!)...  
Perhaps to show your support- you can set your device alarms for the same times your Lyme Fighter pal has to set theirs.   You can get an idea of all they have to do in a day/night to keep kickin..as well as take the opportunity to pray for them each time that alarm sounds.
(btw- Lyme Buddies:  if possible, choose soothing, least irritating ring tones for those alarms- it is good for you, and those around you)

- Don't forget that even though your Lyme Fighter pal hasn't been able to go out with you to do something in ages-  your pal would still absolutely love it if you asked anyway!  And maybe once in awhile you can bring a little rememberance back to your pal, letting them know they were thought of and missed- and that you hope one day your pal can join you again. 

- Look for ways to adapt outings so that it may be possible for your Lyme Fighter pal to join in... or join her.

- If your Lyme Battle pal is room/house bound-  perhaps bring a nice new picture to look at (of something you know they enjoy), or a magazine subscription, or a throw/blanket/pillow, new soft/natural fabric socks... 

- Find a gluten free, sugar free (Stevia),   whatever-free snack to your pal....your effort in learning and knowing what they can have is wonderful

- If your Lyme Battle pal is up to it- bring over a movie to watch together.   Record a local highschool concert that they Lyme Battler may have had to miss- and replay it WITH them.


These are just a few ideas-   I'm sure you can think of more!  In fact- please do!  And share them in the comments area!  The more ideas, the better! 

Blessings-

Exodus 17:11-13  (NASB)

¹¹ So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand ^[a]down, Amalek prevailed. ¹² But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. ¹³ So Joshua ^[b]overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build

Confidence & Strength

Oh what a morning-  this was to be my 'recovery day' after a full day yesterday (for a Lyme Fighter at least). Felt relatively okay this morning; had my to-do list ready...  Now it is almost mid-afternoon, and there sits the list, not a thing crossed off it. 

What I have had is one-thing-after-another of interuptions/irritations.  Like, in trying to download a new update on my device- I lost TONS of information on it, had to restore it..and still no new upgrade... I depend on my device quite a bit (my second brain)! 

From the get-go I've been off kilter- And so, it is time to sit quietly, breathe deeply, and look into God's word.  I need refreshment!

I got out my Bible reading for today-  It starts with a passage in Isaiah 30...  As I read through, verses catch my attention:

15 '...In quietness and confidence is your strength.'  ....

18-'But the LORD still waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion.  For the LORD is a faithful God.  Blessed are those who wait for him to help them..'

....33:2 "But LORD, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you.  Be our strength each day and our salvation in times of trouble."

How's your day going?  Need strength, salvarion..... be confident in God, fear Him, call out to Him, wait on Him, be still/quiet... He will come to your aid! 

Circumstances may not always change- but you will be refreshed, and have the satisfaction of placing your confidence in the One Worthy of Trust~

Bless you!

Refreshment

I have a number things going on right now that are occupying my energies, and so I am not posting blogs as often as I'd like to. 

Also, I decided I needed to go back onto a med to battle Babesia again, so I've slowly been working on getting that med amount back up.  (So, you know how that goes.)

This fall, our church is participating in training through www.myhopewithbillygraham.org  For me, there is not a lot of 'new' information- but I have appreciated how well the material is put together, particularly appreciating the teaching in lessons 3-11 (I have another week to go.) 

If you are interested in the training- you can sign up to go through the training for FREE ONLINE!

I don't plan to do the 'host a DVD event' aspect at this time- but the rest of the training is very good for learning about sharing the Gospel.  Being an introvert, and over the years with God, He usually calls me to one person at a time~  But no matter our personality or preferences- the LORD asks us to be ready 'in season and out' to share His Good News. (2 Timothy 4:2)

In doing today's preparation- one of the verses I was to look up was Acts 3:19

Acts 3:19

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁹ Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;


Obviously, what struck me today was the last part of this passage, "in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord"

Oh but that sounds SO GOOD today--  LORD knows I need refreshment, and so the LORD also knows- I need to be in His presence! 

There is nothing else on earth that can bring refreshment like His presence! 

Do you know His presence?  If not, I invite you to know Him- 
-understand first that we were all born with a sinful nature (a desire to go our own way, apart from God) which leaves us seperated from God.

- In God's great love, He Himself made a way for us to connect with Him.  And because we are sinful in nature, and He is All Holy- it had to be a particular way...a sacrificial way-- and again, in His great love, He made a way for us to re-connect  (be in community with ) through sending His Son Jesus to experience humanity, while yet diety/sinless... to unjustly be accused of sin (to take on our sin); He was crucified, died (a sacrificial death on our behalf)

- on the third day- Jesus was risen from the dead- conquering death, leading the way for those of us who believe on Him (trust in Him, and what He has done for us) so that we too can share in eternal life with Him

The verse begins with repent and return.... repent means to turn from sin, and then to turn to Christ. 

This allows us to enter the presence of God as one who belongs to Christ-  By Jesus Christ, we can enter the presence of Almighty God!  (Yes, it really is about who you know!)

For years I knew there was a God, out there, somewhere.  And, I had it in my mind that to try to get closer to Him, I had to work at being 'good'.  But in my heart of hearts, there was always the nagging sense of 'falling short'...after all, I could never find the answer to my nagging question of 'when is good enough, enough?' 

In my college days- I had friends who were 'good' too-  they were also 'Christians' (as I would have called myself at the time, because I had at least gone to church some times, and thought is was a 'good thing').

But some of these friends just had 'something more'- I couldn't quite put my finger on it at the time, but there was something different about them.  Now I would say it was a quality of 'Light and Life' that I didn't have.

A couple years later, in a late night conversation with another friend, I shared about my perplextion of wondering if it was even worth trying to 'be good' when no one could even say definitively when one was 'good enough' to be assured of going to heaven....  My friend gently explained it wasn't about my being good, but about The Only One Who Is Good- Jesus... and went on to explain this Good News that I shared above...

Oh what relief came over me-- how it made SO much sense that I was a sinner.  I intuitively knew that deep down inside.... it was a relief to just admit it, and stop trying to cover it up!!! 

What a weighty burden was lifted from me that night-  and in it's place, came peace and security, in Jesus.  What joy!   What refreshment! 


Even though some of us have walked many years with the LORD- we still need times of refreshing.  The days on this ball of dust can be discouraging, frightening, lonely, overwhelming, difficult, painful... oh but we need to be refreshed... and so, we to, turn to the LORD. 

Keeping Him our focus- and allowing Him to refresh us with His presence, through prayer, His Word, the Saints... 

May this day- you be refreshed by His wonderful presence! 

Blessings-

Romans 3:23

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²³ for all ^[a]have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 

Romans 6:23

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Romans 5:8

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 2:8-9

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and ^[a]that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Revelation 3:20

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

John 1:12

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

Time Challenged?

The other day a friend graciously came to help me process some of the produce bulging from our garden.  

I get to frustrated not being able to keep up with it all; a) I'm not a natural 'farmer's wife'  b) did I mention I have Lyme?! 

We were considering several avenues of processing onto which we could proceed, when one of my daughters' entered in with a new recipe she had for homemade, canned, salsa that she wanted to try.  So she and my friend set to that task, while I diddled on another. 

As all great cooks do, my daughter made her own twist to the salsa recipe along the way.  Now mind you- this was her first very own full canning process and start with her own chosen recipe!  Well- it turned out fantabulous!   Of course I warned her that it is always dangerous to do something so well- as it then becomes your special thing to do from then on! (smile)

Once the cans of her soon-to-be famous salsa were joyfully ping-popping their tops on the counter, and she was finishing the last of the clean-up, she said, "That really wasn't that hard!  It just took time!"

That statement just caught me.  How profound!   It wasn't that hard, it just took time!

That is so true in much of the things-of-life: love, parenting, work, keeping to our treatment protocol.... when we boil it down, there may be truly hard things here and there, but for the most part the hard part is the time!

When we approach it step-by-step, one thing at a time... we move forward the most effectively.  Thinking of all the time something can take may even immobilize us, and we get nowhere; or we may get overwhelmed thinking about everything that needs to be done, and give up...

But, if we take it one thing at a time, in a timely manner-  it does get done.  We do move forward.  And, in taking our goodly time about it- we are least likely to go backward. 

I was talking to a Believing friend of mine about this- and we were so amazed at God and time.  God is beyond time- He is not limited by time.  When He invites us to do something for Him, one of our first reactions is likely to be- I don't have time (energy) for that.  

But, in His economy-  if He is directing us to do something, He also expands our known time, and will even redeem it, and give it back in some abundant way. 

Over the years I've experienced this more and more, and less and less do I get concerned about how much 'time' something will take, if he has asked me to do it.

You know days where one day seems to fly-by, and another feels like a week or more... our perception has changed, not the constraint of time.  It is a bit like that- only with a mysterious eternal twist to it when we are operating within the will of God.  It is crazy cool!

So what are you facing today that will take time?  That's feels like it is an overwhelming task?   Pray, seek God for strength, and slowly, steadily move forward...let Him be concerned about the time it will take, the energy it will take...  and be ready to experience His amazing expression of working beyond what we know of as time...

Blessings-

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

Proverbs 20:24

The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?

Psalm 37:23

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives

A Go To

Been to this Psalm before multiple times, will be again I'm sure~  But it was part of my devotional reading today, and thought it a good one to share again~  This time in the NLT (New Living Translation)

I think David expresses what many of us Lyme Fighters feel..we are in a battle as well.  I've spent months in my own 'cave', under attack, alone... 

Verse three is especially precious-  to those of us under attack, the LORD sends Help; He comes with Unfailing Love and Faithfulness.  Two of any human's most basic of needs.  With these two provisions, Unfailing Love and Faithfulness- we can get through what this sin-filled world throw at us. 

He is Unfailing Love and Faithfulness.

He cannot not be these.  And He comes to us in our need, meets us where we are at.  We are not alone in this battle.

Note that the prescript to the Psalm states it is to be sung to the tune of 'Do Not Destroy!'- Oh but I would love to have heard this tune!

Listen:

Psalm 57:1-11  New Living Translation (NLT)

For the choir director: A psalm^[a] of David, regarding the time he fled from Saul and went into the cave. To be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”

¹ Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until the danger passes by.

² I cry out to God Most High,^[b]
to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.

³ He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
disgracing those who hound me. Interlude
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.

⁴ I am surrounded by fierce lions
who greedily devour human prey—
whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows,
and whose tongues cut like swords.

 

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens!
May your glory shine over all the earth.

 

⁶ My enemies have set a trap for me.
I am weary from distress.
They have dug a deep pit in my path,
but they themselves have fallen into it.

Interlude

 

⁷ My heart is confident in you, O God;
my heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises!

⁸ Wake up, my heart!
Wake up, O lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.

⁹ I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.

I will sing your praises among the nations.¹⁰ For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

 

¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.

 

 

In what, or who, are you placing you confidence/trust in today?   Place your confidence and trust in Him Who Alone Is Worthy.  He will answer you with Unfailing Love and Faithfulness- you are not alone!

 

Blessings-

 

A Friend~

Well- I haven't been able to keep up with Blogging lately-  Thank you for hanging in there with me! 

There has been a lot of 'extras' going on- and I just haven't had opporunity to touch base with you all. 

Even at this- it'll be short- and I hope eventually to be able to get again into more of a routine with the Blogging again! 

Meanwhile-  In honor of friends from church, who have been so gracious and willing to help me with things (so humbling)... I'd like to share this quote. 

Perhaps you have someone to whom you've tried to express how much you apprecitate their help- and these words might help with that expression... or, perhaps you are the Helper- know that many times, just being there is the greatest help of all~ 

"Still, when we ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that is is those who, instead of giving much advice, sollutions, or curs, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wound siwth a gentle hand.  The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not-knowing, not-curing, not-healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is the friend who cares."   (from Out of Solitude: Three Meditations on the Christian Life)

Bless all who we call friend~  And above all-  thank You Jesus, the One Who Calls us Friend, who is always with us, and brings His Comforter, His Helper to us~